I got it - I got it!

I know how to bike now!  It's been a confusing experience for me.  I just didn't quite understand what the peddles were for or what I was suppose to be doing with them.  But, finally....I understand.  Riding a bike is sooooo much more fun when you are not doing it Flinstones style!

Whew....riding a bike is tough work!

At the mall

How American are we?  We even get to go to the mall and play on elaborate play structures designed to keep kids entertained while their families over consume!

Mommy has stopped short of getting us strangely inappropriate coffee drinks that will confuse our young bodies and caffienate us beyond all reason.  But, Mom....the other kids get to??? 

Science can be fun

Today we went to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate park.  How amazing! 

We kissed artic penguins.....

We roared with lions on the african plains, laughed with baboons and grazed wth zebras... 

We stood under the largest mamals.....

We explored the rainforest, sang with the birds and flirted with butterflies....

We rested as fish and sharks swam all around us....

In short we saw the world, and it was fantastic!

Mama Mia

I LOVE this movie.  I first saw it at Priya's house in Arusha and ever since I've been singing these songs.  We often listen to the soundtrack while having breakfast and Clara Shei and I love to dance around the house to these really fantastic tunes.

Even better though, is watching the movie.  We had a fun family movie night at home tonight and we made popcorn and milkshakes and watched Mama Mia together. 

I love being part of a family, we get to do the most fun things ever!!

Walking Safari

Today my Uncle Gogo took me on a walking safari to explore the neighborhood. There are so many trails and paths through the hills around our house and my Uncle Gogo grew up in these hills and knows them all by heart.  I had so much fun exploring with him.  We ended our safari trail at the school playground.  I got to play on the toys and met some big kids friends to play with.  How fun....and how fun to be with Uncle Gogo.  He lets me do some wld and crazy things.  I cannot say with certainty BUT....it is unlikely that Mommy would have allowed me to play on the teeter totter with some boy standing on top of the middle of it!  Yay for crazy Uncle Gogo (Mommy may have a little 'talk' with him). 

museums are for kids...

Today I saw the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time.  Wow...that is one big bridge.  And, I got to play at the Discovery museum with my little sister.  Not too shabby.  Oh, except there was a very mean woman there who tried to get me in trouble!  Can you even imagine.  Shei Shei and I were in the galaxy exhibit learning all about space and spaceships.  She and I were playing with some toys and then we started wandering the exhibit together.  We lost Mommy and Bada for a few seconds....when they caught up with us we were hanging out with a little baby in a stroller.  The babies Mommy was with his big sister right next to us.  When Mommy walked up she told Shei Shei and I it was time to get going and asked Shei Shei if she was being a nice girl.  The mommy of the baby told MY Mommy that Shei Shei was being very nice.  Now that sounds perfectly fine, but the WAY she said it and the WAY she looked at ME when she was saying it....well, she was clearly trying to tattle on me.  Can you imagine that she would actually tell on me!?!

Well, I had to set my mommy straight. We stepped outside and got ready to leave the museum.  Mommy took me aside and told me that she wanted me to be a better sharer and she wanted to be proud of me and couldn't when I wasn't good at sharing with friends.  Oh!  Can you believe it.  That lady actually got me in trouble and now I was being lectured about being a good sharer!  Well, that was too much.  I had to set things straight.  I told her, "Mommy....Shei Shei gave MY toys away to that baby!". 

Climbing Trees

While we had our picnic in the park today, I wanted to climb trees.  I climbed some small ones today with the help of Bada and Mommy.  Uncle Gogo is gone right now, but when he gets back, he's going to teach me to climb even taller ones! 

"Happy Birthday Merica"

Wow, Merica has a lot of people that love it.  And, can they celebrate!  Today was Merica's birthday and we got up early to start our celebration.  We went down to a parade.  I've never seen a parade before but it was fun.  My Mommy and Bada were really hot and it didn't actually look like they were having as much fun, but I sure was.  I love the marching band and the music, it's so fun to dance.  And, people walk along (and sometimes even animals) and show different things like talents that they might have or clubs they are in etc.....but the best part is that sometimes, they hand stuff out.  I got an American flag and a plane.  SO cool....

After the parade we went over to the park, again it was about 300 degrees out, but I didn't mind.  Mommy looked like she was melting though.  We practiced some tumbling and rode on a train around the park.

Well, after all that excitement, we had to go home and have a rest.  In the evening we got a picnic together and headed for the fireworks in Berkeley.  We took light jackets, though couldn't imagine needing them with the heat of the day.  Wow....did we miscalculate.  It was FREEZING there.  The problem is....once you get in, they won't let you out.  No joke....there are so many policemen there and there is NO LEAVING the marina until 11pm AFTER the fireworks.  Mommy was a bit horrified.  But, we figured out that we could go to the bar in the very nice hotel there that was right on the waterfront and have a GREAT indoor seat to view the fireworks from.  Mommy got Shei Shei and I our first cup of hot chocolate and she had a glass of wine (she seemed to get a lot calmer after downing that wine).  We watched the fireworks and heard the booms and it was magnificent.  Part way through the fireworks, I needed to go to the bathroom, so mommy took me.  I sat down on the potty chair and started to go....and that freaky chair FLUSHED right when I was on it.  Oh My Gosh....it really freaked me out.  I jumped up!  Ever since then I feel the need to warn everyone that the potty chair is scary and makes a noise like this, "NEIGH".  Beware of the automatic potty chair....you never know, you might get sucked right in! 

Happy Merica's Birthday everyone, I hope you celebrated it right!